washington post business decision makers

Business Decision Makers Online: A study of 999 people on washingtonpost.com who met the @Plan definition of a “business decision maker.”

Business Decision Makers Online

Usage & Opinions of a CriticalOnline Audience


Methodology

• washingtonpost.com partnered with MORI Research andNielsen//NetRatings @Plan to understand how business decisionmakers (BDMs) use the Web

• An online survey was administered to 1,572 random visitors towashingtonpost.com

• MORI Research and @Plan provided survey design and analysisservices

• Using the @Plan definition of a ‘business decision maker,’ 573respondents were screened out of the survey, leaving a completesample of 999 individuals (Appendix i)

• washingtonpost.com’s decision makers approximate the averageonline decision maker in terms of organization size, position, andpurchasing influence (Appendix ii-iv)

• Data analysis performed and results compiled by @Plan andwashingtonpost.com

2


Key Findings

• The Internet is the most powerful advertising medium forreaching and influencing business decision makers

• The Internet is the dominant media vehicle consumed bybusiness decision makers during the week and second only toTV on the weekend

• Increased Web usage by business decision makers has resultedin decreased consumption of Television, Newspapers,Magazines, and Radio programming

• Business decision makers use the Web for General News andCurrent Events far more than for any other reason


3


The Web is the Best Place to ReachDecision Makers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Inte

rnet

Mag

azin

es

Newsp

aper

s TV

Radio

% D

efin

itel

y/P

rob

ably

Incl

ud

e

• When asked which media to include in an advertising campaignaimed at reaching them, over 60% of business decision makersrecommended the Internet (Appendix v)

• Less than 40% of BDMs recommended using radio or televisionadvertising to reach them

4


The Web is the Most Powerful AdvertisingMedium

• Online and advertising helps BDMs make purchasing decisionsmore often than advertising any other medium (Appendix vi & viii)

• An overwhelming majority of business decision makers view theWeb as the best medium to find out about new products andcompanies (Appendix vii)

• 77% say the Web is the place to find out about new products andcompanies – more than twice as many as the next highest medium

• According to a majority of BDMs, advertising on the Web givesproducts and services a more modern and up-to-date image thanadvertising on traditional media (Appendix vii)

5


Online Advertising Leads to Purchases

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Inte

rnet

Mag

azin

es

Newsp

aper

s

Telev

isio

nRad

io

None of t

hese

% In

flu

ence

d (

pas

t ye

ar)

• 47% of business decision makers say that the Web hasinfluenced them to make a purchase or obtain a service for theirbusiness (Appendix viii)

• Compare this to 35% for magazines, 24% for newspapers, and only20% for television

6


Internet Dominates During the Workday

0%

4%

8%

12%

16%

20%

Internet(excluding

email)

Radio TV Newspapers Magazines

% u

sin

g 5

+ h

rs. p

er w

eekd

ay• 17% of business decision makers use the Web at least 5 hours per

weekday (Appendix ix)• Compare this to only 9% for Radio and 7% for TV

• An insignificant proportion of BDMs spend 5 or more hours readingnewspapers or magazines on an average weekday

7


Internet and Television Dominate On theWeekend

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

TV Internet(excluding

email)

Radio Newspapers Magazines

% u

sin

g 5

+ h

rs. p

er w

eeke

nd

day

• 7% of business decision makers use the Web at least 5 hours perweekend day (Appendix x)

8


BDMs Expect Continued Increases in WebUsage

• 40% of business decision makers expect their Web usage toincrease over the next 12 months (Appendix xi)

• Only 4% expect their Web usage to decrease over the next 12months

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Increasesignificantly

Increasesomewhat

No change Decreasesomewhat

Decreasesignificantly

Web

usa

ge

(nex

t 12

mo

nth

s)

9


Increased Web Usage Inversely EffectsOther Media

• 55% of business decision makers have increased their Webusage over the past 12 months. As a result of this increasedWeb usage (Appendix xii):

ÿ 50% have experienced a decrease in TV viewership

ÿ 47% have experienced a decrease in Newspaper readership

ÿ 45% have experienced a decrease in Magazine readership

ÿ 18% have experienced a decrease in Radio listenership

10


Decisionmakers Read News Online

• Over 90% of business decision makers use the Web to readgeneral news and/or current events (Appendix xiii)

• More than twice as many use the Web to read general news andcurrent events than for any other reason

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Other

Research competitive companies

Purchase business related products andservices

Research possible business relatedpurchases

Read financial news/stock lisings

Read general news/current events

11


Appendix

Sample Characteristics

& Detailed Findings


Defining the Business Decision Maker

The following question was used to define a business decision maker forthe purposes of this survey:Do you, personally and directly, participate in or influence the decision to purchase any ofthe following for your company? (Click all that apply. If you click one or more categoriesinadvertently, you can correct the error by simply re-clicking on any incorrect categories.)

• ASPs/Internet Access Services/Website HostingServices

• Computer Software/Hardware

• Human Resource Services – employee (full &part time) recruitment, benefit packages, insurance

• Legal Services

• Office Supplies, including paper, pens, etc.

• Telephone Services (local and/or long distance),including Internet access lines such as T-1 lines

• Business Consulting Services - corporatestrategy, product development, market research

• Financial Services - commercial banking,accounting, investments, investment banking

• IT Technology Consulting Services - softwareprogramming, IT development

• Marketing Services - advertising, media

• Telephone Equipment (land-based and/orcellular)

• Travel Services - airline, lodging, train and carreservations; meetings and convention services

• None of the above*

* Respondents who indicated they do not participate or influence purchase decisions were screened out of the survey.

i


Purchasing Influence

Web

Access/ Hosting Svcs.

Business Consulting

Svcs. Financial

Svcs. HR

Svcs.

IT Tech Consulting

Svcs. Mktg Svcs.

Office Supplies

Tele Equip.

Tele Svcs.

Travel Svcs.

Online BDMs

24.0% 21.0% 20.0% 22.2% 20.1% 21.3% 56.9% 27.1% 28.2% 26.8%

WP.com BDMs

29.7% 23.9% 20.0% 26.3% 27.9% 23.8% 47.6% 27.3% 30.6% 32.3%

• washingtonpost.com’s BDMs are more likely to approve thepurchase of technology related products and services thanonline BDMs• This may result from washingtonpost.com’s high concentration of

coastal residents, with over half of readers residing in the tech-centric South Atlantic or Pacific census divisions

• washingtonpost.com BDMs are less likely to approve thepurchase of office supplies than online BDMs

ii


Organization Size

<10 10-19 20-49 50-99 100-499 500-999 1000-1999 2000+

Online BDMs 26.5% 6.4% 6.3% 5.4% 11.5% 5.0% 4.5% 31.7%

WP.com BDMs 27.1% 6.7% 5.9% 4.8% 13.2% 5.7% 4.9% 31.6%

• washingtonpost.com’s BDMs roughly approximate the averageonline BDMs in terms of organization size

• Both washingtonpost.com BDMs and online BDMs tend towork in either small or large organizations• Less than 20% of online BDMs work in organizations with 50-500

individuals

iii


Job Industry

Arts/Ent/ B'casting/ Publishing

Auto/ Aero

Computer Software/

Prog Labor/ Trade Edu

Finance/Banking

Medical/ Health Care Gov’t

Manufacturing/Operations

Retail/ Wholesale Telecom

Online BDMs 3.0% 2.8% 3.1% 7.0% 7.2% 4.2% 7.4% 13.3% 5.5% 5.1% 2.0%

WP.com BDMs 6.0% 2.0% 11.5% 1.8% 9.0% 4.2% 5.3% 11.5% 4.6% 2.7% 5.3%

• washingtonpost.com’s BDMs are more likely to work inComputers and Technical industries than online BDMs• This may result from washingtonpost.com’s high concentration of

coastal residents, with over half of readers residing in the tech-centric South Atlantic or Pacific census divisions

• washingtonpost.com’s BDMs are less likely to work in Retail orLabor industries than online BDMs

iv


Internet TV Radio Newspapers MagazinesDefinitely include 36% 20% 12% 21% 25%Probably include 25% 13% 19% 26% 30%Might or might not include 14% 15% 18% 19% 14%Probably not include 6% 12% 13% 7% 6%Definitely not include 5% 16% 14% 8% 6%Don't know/refused 7% 8% 8% 7% 8%

If you were planning an advertising campaign to reach a businessdecision maker like yourself, which of the following media would you

include?

v


Internet TV Radio Newspapers Magazines None of these

Don't know/refused

Is where I prefer to find out about new products

65% 11% 6% 25% 35% 7% 3%

Has advertising I notice at work 45% 3% 8% 18% 17% 30% 6%

Has advertising that helps me decide what to buy

40% 20% 14% 41% 38% 20% 4%

Has advertising that is relevant to me 40% 35% 30% 54% 46% 13% 3%

Has advertising I remember for a long time

17% 43% 18% 15% 22% 25% 6%

Please select the media you think apply to each of the followingstatements. You may choose as many or as few as you wish.

vi


Internet TV Radio Newspapers Magazines None of these

Don't know/refused

Where to receive information about products

77% 7% 6% 23% 32% 4% 4%

Where modern and up-to-date companies advertise

72% 53% 28% 31% 58% 2% 5%

Has advertising that is rich in information 47% 8% 5% 29% 42% 15% 5%

Has innovative advertising 43% 50% 13% 8% 23% 11% 8%

Has interesting advertising 30% 54% 21% 16% 38% 13% 6%

Where traditional companies advertise 20% 78% 49% 68% 58% 1% 5%

Please give your personal impressions about the nature ofadvertising you see on each of the following media. For each

statement, please select the media you think apply.

vii


In the past year, which media’s advertising has influenced you tomake a purchase or obtain a service for your business?

Frequency PercentInternet 468 47%Magazines 347 35%Newspapers 236 24%Television 199 20%Radio 102 10%None of these 278 28%

viii


Newspapers Magazines

Internet

(excluding email) Radio TV< 15 minutes 24% 38% 3% 12% 7%

16 - 30 minutes 30% 27% 10% 18% 10%31 - 60 minutes 23% 13% 21% 19% 19%

1 - 2 hours 10% 6% 24% 19% 27%2 - 3 hours 3% 2% 15% 8% 17%

3 - 5 hours 1% 0% 9% 6% 8%> 5 hours 1% 1% 17% 9% 7%

None 6% 6% 0% 4% 4%

Thinking about an AVERAGE WEEKDAY, how much time do youspend with each of the following media?

ix


Newspapers Magazines

Internet

(excluding email) Radio TV< 15 minutes 16% 29% 9% 21% 6%

16 - 30 minutes 23% 25% 16% 20% 7%31 - 60 minutes 27% 17% 18% 14% 14%

1 - 2 hours 18% 10% 19% 12% 23%2 - 3 hours 4% 3% 13% 8% 22%

3 - 5 hours 1% 1% 7% 6% 13%> 5 hours 1% 0% 7% 4% 8%

None 7% 7% 5% 7% 4%

Thinking about an AVERAGE WEEKEND DAY, how much time do youspend with each of the following media?

x


Frequency PercentIncrease significantly 58 6%Increase somewhat 346 35%No change 548 55%Decrease somewhat 30 3%Decrease significantly 5 1%Don't know/refused 12 1%

Thinking about the NEXT 12 MONTHS, do you expect the frequencywith which you use the Internet to:

xi


As a result of your increased Internet use, how has your use of thefollowing media changed?

Frequency PercentIncreased significantly 5 1%Increased somewhat 20 4%No change 236 43%Decreased somewhat 171 31%Decreased significantly 102 19%Don't know/refused 2 0%




Watching TV:

Reading Magazines: Listening to the Radio:

Reading Newspapers:

xii


Frequency PercentReading general news/current events 916 92%Reading financial news/stock lisings 454 45%Researching possible business related purchases 444 44%Purchasing business related products and services 327 33%Researching competitive companies 302 30%Other 245 25%None of the above 22 2%

Excluding e-mail, how do you use the Internet during the workday?

xiii

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